"This is America" and Culture Appropriation

I recently saw both the "This is America" music video and the copycat "This is America, Women's Edit."

From the start of the video, I was intrigued by the strange choice of scenery as well as drawn into the beat.

Then, comes the bloody murder of the man with a covering over his head, leading into the hook and beat.

Needless to say I was horrified, shocked and confused as to where this video was leading and what the message could be. However, I could not take my eyes off the scenes before my eyes.

Rather than trying to over-analyze the video, I just tried to see the video as an expression of the artist's impression of America, with its many contradictions and duplicity.

Then, came the "This is America, Women's Edit."

And, then came the dissatisfaction from all angles of what many considered to be a mockery of the original 'This is America."

However, I seemed to feel that the "Women's Edit" although a play on the music was an entirely different set of issues that have yet to be addressed in American society.

To anyone who has seen these videos, I have some questions that need answers.

1. Is the "Women's Edit" representative of women's issues?

2. Do you feel that the "Women's Edit" takes away from the impact of the original video?

3. Does the second video represent another version of America?

4. Do you feel that the second video is another example of 'Cultural Appropriation?'

5. Do you think people of various ethnicity have the right to comment, borrow or re-imagine a certain ethnicity's artistic productions?

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